The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1887-10-12
THE THIRTEENTH JUROR.

lawyers had to be heard, and finally his
honor had delivered a charge of extraor-
binary length and %profundity.
felt relieved when l entered the jury
room with my eleven companions. Surely
we could come to n decision in a few
minutes.
To my mind everything was perfectly
clear. The defendant, Max Steinway,
was guilty Of murder. True, no human
eye had seen him commit the crime, but
the circumstantial evidence was dead
against him.
l formed an u%nfavorable opinion of
Steinway from the first. He was a for
eigner, a little past middle age, strikingly
handsome, but with a sinister CLEAN in
his cold gray eyes. Our plain country
people did not like his ways. He never
mingled with his neighbors, and there
was a naughty, repcllant air about him
that offended strangers and all alike.
We rather resented the coming Of this
man into our old fashioned community,
where one man was regarded as the equal
of any other man, and where great stress
was laid upon ~neighborly virtues. But
we could not help ourselves. We could
not even make life pleasant for poor Mrs.
Steinway, n we felt sure that the I'M
fortunate lady needed the sympathy and
society of the outside world.
Mrs. Steinway was pale and thin enough
when she moved into the gloomy old house
which her hu ,band had purchased, but as
the mouths passed On she grew still paler
and thinner. She never smiled, and it was
easy to sec that she stood in deadly fear
of her proud, stern master.
The Steinways continued to live in their
solitary way. The village was only a mile
from their place, but they did not visit it
more than three or four times a year. OF
course, people talked about them. We
wondered who they were, where they
came from and what they were doing
among us. 1t leaked out that Steinway
was q little cranky on various scientific
subjects. He spent most of his time study
ing chemistry and electricity. When we
heard this we gave him up. Science and
book learning were rather below par in
our bailiwick, and we had q wholesome
dread of cranks.
The murder did not surprise people. 1t
seemed natural that something horrible
should occur at the Steinway cottage.
JEFF Gilmer and Lige Peake caught the
murderer in the very act, although, as
said before, nobody saw the man do tho
deed. Gilmer and Peake were returning
home in the twilight, and just as they
were passing a little summer house or.
rangement in Steinway's yard they heard
2 woman's cry for help. They leaped over
the fence rushed to the spot, but they were
too late. Mrs. Steinway's dead body was
lying on the ground and her husband was
rising to his feet with q bloody dagger in
his handl
h made q powerful impression on the
trial. The servants swOre that the dag
ger belonged to Steinway, and in fast it
bore his name on the handle. They
swore, too, that the husband and wife
lived unhappily, and that Steinway had
frequently threatened his wife. Against
all this there was nothing but the prison
cr's statement. He denied the alleged i'll
treatment of his wife, but said that she
had shown symptoms of mental derancc-
ment for some time, and he had been COM
PEELED to watch her closely and restrain
her movements. On the evening of the
tragedy he said that he heard the cry in
the summer house. He flew there, and to
his horror found his wife dead with a dag
ger plunged to the hilt in her breast. 1t
was while he was drawing the weapon
from the wound that Gilmer and PeaI,e
had come upon him.
Such, in substance, was the story told
oNi AL III was Nli1l VIC
twelve men were locked up to decide
upon.
1t was after dark when we entered upon
u deliberations. We had no candles and
they were not needed. Through two win
lows the moonlight streamed into the
room, making it us bright Ms day, except
In the corners and around the edges.
HE is guilty Of murder spoke I'D one
Of the jurors, in a brisk, aggressive way.
"There can be no doubt of it.n
certainly, ~ said another.
"Of course" l chimed in.
"Why did we leave tho box at allp,
asked the man ext to me. "Our minds
were made up when we heard the evi.
dence."
This was a telling lick. Country Jurors
hate to admit that the speeches of tho
lawyers and the Judges charge aid them
in arriving at n conclusion.
A general chorus of voices expressed
the most positive belief in the prisoners
guilt.
"Well," remarked the foreman. s.ns It
is unanimous, I'll just knock on the door
and have the court notified that we have !
agreed upon our verdict. No fun in stay- I
ing here all night, you know"
"You are too fast" sail n Juror in one
OF the Swallowed corners. ssThc evidence
Is very far from convincing me that Stein
way Is guilty. 1t only points that way,
out ~ leaves a reasonable doubt, and it is
our duty to discuss all the testimony
calmly and fairly"
II beg your pardon, y replied the fore
disappointedly, Il thought we bod /
heard from everybody and that we were
all OF the same mind. We are ready to
hear you."
Again the voice from the shadow smoke
out.
"Le us put away our prejudice" said
The speaker" at must lie ADMITTED h a
leep down in our hearts we have cherished
u~nfriendly feeling toward this man.
is q foreigner. He is selfish and proud.
dislikes us, and SO we dislike him.
Now that he is in trouble we feel disposed
o believe everything that is against him,
nothing that he says for himself. 1t
s natural, but is it right"
l took the floor and protested against
uch reflections upon our integrity and in
diligence.
Several others followed me on the same
inc.
"Ha! hal" laughed the juror in the
hadow. Don't deceive yourselves.
imagine n of us-our foreman. for in
va nv pllSOuCE . DluGp, ana Won
would acquit him ut once"
1t was n center shot, and it demoraIized
Is.
"Weli, yes" I answered; stbecause If
e told us that he had found his wife
cad, and had drawn the dagger from her
ody, n explained the alleged i'll treat
rcIt, a story supported only by the testi-
OF ignorant negro servants, by say
" that he had to restrain her on account
/ her mental condition, l should believe
i'm, because l have always known him to
e truthful and kind hearted"
'Goodp' exclaimed the man who was
with us. 'Well, my friend, moth
lg whatever is known of the character of
MS man Steinway. You are to presume
nat he is a good citizen, truthful, humane
nd all that sort of thing. You must be-
eve these things until the contrary mp
ears. You have no right to think that
IMPLY because he shuts himself up with
Is scientific books and shows no interest
you that he is bad at heart and capable
numbering his wife,
"Hang it! Who is that fellow, anyhow?r
;ked my neighbor in an irritated tone.
l looked into the Swallowed part OF the
but could not see the obstinate Juror
lstinctly enough to make him out. He
as standing with two or three others.
urs was a new county, formed out Of
other counties, and several of the
lrors were strangers to each other and to
lie majority. This man who defended
he prisoner so stoutly was evidently one
the strange jurors.
Come, " said the foreman, "we'n take
, this matter point by point"